


Bloom

by GalacticTwink



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Rose's Fountain, Steven Universe: The Movie Spoilers, Steven's Powers, could read as romantic or platonic, lightly romantic, pink's garden, redeemed spinel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:11:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21700552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalacticTwink/pseuds/GalacticTwink
Summary: Spinel is ready to face the past, and Steven is desperate to fix it for her.
Relationships: Spinel/Steven Universe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> My first su fic I'm actually posting because the fandom is a little scary to me but I love them so much
> 
> I wanted to write this immediately after watching the movie, and I did!

“Are you sure you’re ready?” I stop in front of the warp, tapping Spinel’s middle with my arm to make her pause too. It still feels like everything just happened. Heck- there’s still a gigantic crater in the middle of the city! Spinel smiles at me, the streaks of black down her cheeks dimpling into smile lines beside her eyes. 

“I’m ready, Steven! Let’s go.” she pulls me onto the warm, arm coiling around me as she waits expectantly. This will be okay. Everything can be perfect again. I raise my free arm, the stream coming up around us to lift our feet from the Earth. I know I can make her happy. 

The warp stream fades, leaving bright spots in my vision over the dull scenery around me now. No matter what time I come it’s always dark in the garden, even after everything I’ve already done. I know this isn’t enough yet. Spinal releases my arm. I grab for her hand, but she jumps off the pad before I can reach her; bouncing off into what was her personal hell for so long. She’s so bright among the dead and dying plants; vines crunching under her feet and scattering into ash as she runs down the cleared path. 

“You fixed the communicator. Heh, I’m sorry I broke the other one, it still worked but you had to replace it with this new one-” she rubs her neck, looking back sheepishly at me. I definitely couldn’t fix that communicator, it practically turned to dust when I touched it. 

“That one will work better anyway- look I added more options!” I jog over to Spinel and open the hub, the light from the screen filling the bubble. “You can talk to the diamonds, the hub in Little Homeworld, or me!” I point at the buttons, Spinel’s eyes following me carefully. “I tried my best but the labels on them aren’t the greatest- Pearl has been trying to teach me how to write in gem but it’s pretty complicated!” 

“It’s perfect!” she pulls me in for a hug, arms wrapping tightly around me. “I can’t believe you made it just for me.” I didn’t do all of it, but I don’t want to be a spoilsport. Spinel pulls back to move on, looking up and down one of the spires that I fixed. Those were pretty easy, every pole now standing proud again- lining the whole garden and towering over the barren landscape. Some plants are just sprouting again, sickly green speckling the dusty soil. There’s no light to help them grow, but I’ve been trying to encourage them as much as I can. 

“They’re exactly how they were before..” 

“Not exactly,” I run my fingers along the smooth side of the geometric pillar. “The etching on the sides didn’t come back when I fixed them- they’re all blank now.” I sigh, looking down at the weathered path. I don’t know exactly how this place works, being in its own little bubble, but time sure did take its toll. The pretty cobblestone road that loops around the garden is roughed up and destroyed- save for two small spots that are still totally smooth. It’s almost as bad as the kindergarden in here. 

“They’re still great Steven, you did your best.. Are you going to clear everything?” her lips dip from the smile she’s trying so hard to keep up. I can only imagine how beautiful this place was filled with flowers Pink grew. I could never recreate that. All that’s left now is debris. 

“Not all of it. Some of the flowers over here could still hold on.” I pull Spinel over to the plants that still have a chance, kneeling to show her the delicate roots still holding in the ground. It’s only a small patch, but it’s a start. I turn around, but she isn’t looking at me anymore. 

Her shoulders tremble, just slightly, gaze fixed down on the imprint of her feet in the stone. She really didn’t move an inch. I don’t know what to say. There’s nothing I can say now that will make her forget or feel better- not completely. Six thousand years is a long time. I tap her shoulder gently before wrapping an arm around her, letting the other gem bury her face into my jacket. Her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt, tugging me closer. Hesitantly I drape my other arm around her, pressing my cheek against her temple and just waiting. 

Eventually she gives me a gentle push, letting me take a step back to ground herself again. Spinel nods slowly, letting out a deep breath before giving me a soft smile. 

“Come on, I wanted to show you something.” I take her to the centre of the garden, the fountain set there still surrounded by a circle of green grass. The stone is cracked, sickly vines creeping around the bowl and clogging the spout. 

“The fountain?” she touches the lip, tracing along the dips and curves until her finger reaches a deep crack. “Can you fix it?” I grab both her hands, a smile breaking across my face. 

“I can fix everything, Spinal. My gem pulses, light shining through my shirt. I pull what I need out of it, the light fading into a covered bucket in my hands. “I brought this, it should be enough.” I pop off the lid, sending ripples through the water inside. 

“I dunno if it can hold water like this Steven, shouldn’t you fix it first?”

“This water is from my mom’s fountain, it’s full of her healing tears- and some of mine too. This should be able to fix the whole garden, just like when we brought back her fountain on Earth.” I lift the bucket, water sloshing inside and spilling a few drops over the edge. Green drips across the ground under my feet where the liquid touches, spreading out around the base of the fountain. Here goes nothing.

I pour it in. The stone almost grows, the bowl restoring itself before another drop can be wasted. The vines blocking the spurt burst, water rushing from the spout and circling through the now sparking water feature. The rich green grass spreads, like a gust of wind running through the dead blades breathing life back into it in an instant. Even the path smoothes over, the rush of power following the cobblestone and bleeding into the soil; new flowers springing from the earth. Rows upon rows of fresh pink petals unfurling before our eyes, like a waterfall looping around the garden. There are flowers I’ve never even seen before, a rainbow of solid pink from the palest shade to a rich almost red in all shapes and sizes. It circles back to the flowers I didn’t clear away, the drooping stems uncurling to stand proud again; petals forming lazy multicolored hearts. Huh, they almost remind me of- Spinel lets out a sob, tears dripping down her face. 

“Oh, Spinel-” I reach for her, just brushing her shoulder before she races over to the patch of flowers; dropping to her knees in front of them. Her fingers tremble, reaching out to gingerly touch the delicate petals. 

“She, Pink said these were her favourite. Because they reminded her of me…” the only flowers that survived.. Were hers. I stand next to her, letting Spinel take her time looking at the flowers. Her touch still shaking, just barely brushing her fingertips across the petals of each one. The way her knees tremble when I help her up, turning in on themselves and making her sway, it’s so vulnerable. I wipe the tears from her face, cupping her face with my hands to smile down at her. She holds my arms, fingers circled around my wrists making sure I won’t let go. 

“Thank you.” Spinel’s eyes water again, dripping down the same bath as the stripes down her cheeks and eventually curling around the backs of my hands. I dip my head down to nuzzle against her; wrapping my arms around Spinel’s waist to pick her up off the ground. And gently, I press a kiss to her forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> It could be romantic or platonic but like, I definitely wrote with romantic intentions. 
> 
> wc/ 1364
> 
> You can find me on tumblr [here](https://galactictwink.tumblr.com/)! I'd love to write a prompt for you!


End file.
